The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1887-11-24
Bastien-Lepage and the Prix De
Rome.

The greatest prize of the many hon.
ors open to young French artists is the
Pri1 de Rome. The winner is sent to
Rome to study for four years in the
French Academy. the president of
which is an officer of the Academy of
Fine Arts at Paris. The government
allows the young artist four thousand
francs, or nearly eight hundred dol
lars yearly, and cor four years after
his return the allowance is continued
from the fund of Madame Caen. So
for eight years he can devote himself
to art undisturbed by any thoughts of
money. Moreover the painting to
which the prize is given is hung in the
Academy of Fine Arts, with the pic
lures successful in the competitions
of preceding years. No wonder that
Jules Bastien-Lepage set his heart
upon winning the Pri1 de Rome.
The competition is accompanied with
curious formalities. Every design sub
mitted is covered with tracing paper,
which is sealed down, and tracing of
it made. This is to prevent the artists
from changing the designs after they
are handed in. Only few very slight
accordance with rigorous rules. Tne
artists selected for the excellence OF
their designs to enter the competition
are obliged to remain shut up in sep
arate rooms and carefully watched for
ninety days, so that each shall paint
his picture without any outside assist
ance. Then a jury of distinguish ed
artists examines the work, and awards
the prize.
The subject given out in 1874 was
the .'Annunciation to the Shepherds"
who watched their focks by night,
when the angel appeared to them and
announced the birth of Christ.
Upon this picture Bastien Lepage
worked most earnestly. When it was
finished, he felt confident of success;
but when the day came for making
known the award, and Bastien-Lepage,
with his eager friends, gathered at the
Beaur Arts, an ominous whisper was
heard that the jury had given the prize
to Comerre. The rumor was con-
frmed. Cabanel, disadvantages
master, had voted against his pupil, it
was said.
Afterward it was said that the jury
decided against him chiefly upon tech
meal grounds; one reason being that
the Annunciation occurred at night,
while Bastien-Lepage painted it as if
late in the afternoon.
That evening all the artists met at
dinner in the restaurant of Mademoi-
selle Anna. On the smoky walls hung
pictures by artists who had frequented
the place, and all the pictures by men
who had gained the PrtT dc Rome were
decorated with wreaths of laurel
Comerre, the winner, and Bastien-Le-
each surrounded by his friends. AS
the dinner drew to close young
American painter rose beside Bastien-
Lepage and said, Let us crown the
picture of the man to whom the artists
have awarded the Prir dc Rome"
He held up laurel wreath as he
spoke. Instantly all the artists in the
room were on their feet. The friends
of Comerre angrily struggled to pre-
vent what they counted an insult. But
the others lifted the young American
on their shoulders, bore him through
the opposing crowd, and he hung the
laurel wreath upon Bastien Lepage's
picture, Golden Youth" Amid up
roar and conflict the artists testified
their admiration for their peasant
brother.
There was the same feeling at the
Beaur Arts. Every day heaps of flow
ers and laurel wrcaths were laid be-
fore the 'Annunciation to the Shep-
herds" They were removed by the
guardians OF the galleries, only to be
renewed the next day. So, although
Comerre was given the great prize,
and Bastien-Lepage obtained only the
second, his failure was really sue
cess.-Rip'ey Hitchcock, im ST. Nicho-
las.